Storms
by anime-catdragon
Summary: Many children are afraid of storms. For Tatsuha, however, the fear stems from something deeper and he turns to Eiri for comfort. A collection of one-shots featuring Eiri/Tatsuha brotherly fluff. Not incest.


**A/N: My first Gravitation fic. I'm very excited! It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site, but I was watching the anime recently and this idea popped into my head. Hope you all enjoy, and as always I welcome any and all criticism. So long as it's criticism. Flames will be used to heat my room and nothing else.**

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_Fear gripped him, holding him tight in its suffocating, painful grasp. He knelt on the cold ground, barely aware of the water seeping into his pants even as the white-blue lights flashed-so bright they burned his eyes and cold like the rain that fell steadily, angrily around him. He flinched at the following crack of thunder that echoed around him, his young mind flashing back to the painful sound of shuddering, crunching metal and windows crashing in as their car collided with the wooden pole only moments-hours?-before._

_He could feel the sharp sting as the drops found the tender parts of his body-freshly torn and scraped away when the glass and metal grabbed at him- but he tried to ignore it, instead focusing on the cold wet hand that clung so tightly to his own. _

_Suddenly the hand clenched in his grasp as the owner shuddered and gasped out yet another pained breath, and his frightened eyes noted the red sticky substance that pooled around them both at an increasing rate. He could feel a dampness on his face that had nothing to do with the rain, because somewhere deep in the back of his mind was the realization of what all of this meant._

_Another flash of light-this time solid blue and constant, almost like a heartbeat- brought him back to the moment. He clung desperately to the broken figure in front of him with a shuddering sob. A part of him knew what would come next, had seen it many times before, but he fought desperately anyways as if it would make a difference. _

_He could hear the footsteps now, thundering over the pavement with their own force, so loud it broke through the constant deafening sound of the rain. He whimpered, drawing closer to the figure that had for so long been a symbol of protection and warmth, wishing it would once again stand tall and shield him from the imposing shadows that were drawing nearer. Instead he felt a hand on his head as the one he held squeezed gently and a voice whispered so softly he barely heard it over the rain._

"_I'm sorry." And just like that his world caved in on him. He heard a scream so mournful and gut- wrenching as the shadows born from the blue light ripped him away from the figure, and only then did he realize it was his own._

Tatsuha Uesugi awoke with a choked sob to a flash of white light and the roar of steady rain that fell on the roof above. He looked around wildly before he completely realized he was in his room, yet it provided little comfort.

It had taken a long time for the nightmares of the crash that had killed his mother when he was five years old to stop plaguing his every sleeping moment, however storms like this one always brought the memories back to the surface.

On nights like this, the memories of the wreck combined with certain points of realization that come with age, intensifying the nightmares until he became so restless either his brother would shake him awake, or he would awaken himself.

He didn't like to admit to it, but he liked it better when Eiri woke him. Then his brother would stay up with him, telling stories or holding him until the storm finally quieted and he could drift off to a more peaceful sleep. But it had been three long years since the fateful night, and as Eiri entered his teenage years it had grown harder and harder to rouse him from sleep, and more often than not Tatsuha faced his pain alone.

Tatsuha sighed and glanced at his brother who slept soundly only five feet away. Not for the first time did he wish he could be more like him. Eiri was strong, kind and warm; his light features reminding him of some kind of guardian angel sent to chase his demons away, even as it condemned him to the rest of his peers. He was his big brother, a source of protection and comfort that he clung to when was scared or upset. If only he would just wake up!

Another crash of thunder, and Tatsuha couldn't wait any longer. Shrugging off his blankets he took a tentative step onto the cool floor, shivering slightly at the sudden chill. It seemed an eternity before he finally reached his brother.

"Aniki?" he whispered as he shook his brother's shoulder. Eiri stirred but remained asleep. There was another flash of lightning as the rain intensified on the rooftop. Tatsuha sniffled despite himself; wrapping his arms around his body, though he wasn't sure if it was to keep warm or simply for the comfort.

"Ani?" he could feel the familiar prickles of fear creep up his spine. Panic was setting in the longer he stood there, though he knew that now his blankets would provide little comfort. He shook Eiri again, this time rewarded with a soft groan as his brother woke.

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Golden eyes fluttered open, searching the room before finally meeting his brother's dark orbs.

"Tatsuha? What-" he was cut off by a particularly nasty sounding crash of thunder. Though the room was dark without the flashes of lightning, he did not miss the violent flinch from his brother. He understood.

There was a long pause in which both brothers merely stared at each other. Eiri always marveled at the way his baby brother's eyes seemed to look deep into one's soul, sometimes it even unnerved him. Tonight however, they were only full of fear and pain and they pleaded with his big brother to protect him. Eiri couldn't deny him that, especially not when those soulful eyes were brimmed with tears. With a sigh he lifted the covers.

"You're getting too old for this." He said softly as Tatsuha snuggled close. Tatsuha sniffled but didn't cry. Instead he met his brother's eyes sadly.

"I know. I tried to be brave but…" He looked away, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. Another flash of lightning brought the memories back to the surface and he buried his face in his brother's chest.

Eiri felt his brother tense as the crash of thunder shook their room and he tightened his hold around the small frame, offering what comfort he could.

"Why?" the question was spoken so softly Eiri almost missed it over the rain. He looked down at his brother and found the dark eyes once again searching his own.

"Why did it have to happen? Why did she have to die? Why-" a sob interrupted his inquiries and he tried to look away, tried to hide his weakness from his elder brother but Eiri refused to let him. Instead he gently grabbed his chin and forced his eyes to meet his own. For a moment he was silent, searching for the right words. When he did speak his voice was soft, though serious.

"Sometimes bad things happen. They shouldn't but they do. It isn't fair, but there isn't anything anyone can do." Tatsuha recoiled at the words, sniffling loudly and not even trying to hide the tears that were now streaming down his face. Eiri hesitated only slightly before once again pulling his brother into a tight embrace.

"You can't change the past, Tatsuha. You can only live in the present and look to the future." He whispered against the boy's hair. The sobbing slowly abated until they were quiet hiccups. Eiri brushed dark locks out of his brother's face and wiped away the remaining tears as Tatsuha finally began to relax.

"Sleep now, little brother. No matter what happens, I'll always be here to protect you." The words were whispers in the now quiet room, nearly drowned out by the rain. They were the last things Tatsuha heard before exhaustion finally carried him off.

Outside the storm raged on in violent fury, though the dark haired boy slept soundly, safe in his brother's arms.

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**A/N: Not where I originally meant to go with it, though I am proud of it. I am planning on making this a series of one shots focusing on the brothers, though I'm still not sure. Also, I do not have a beta and I apologize for any errors. If anyone is up for the job let me know, I'd greatly appreciate it! That said, tell me what you thought!**


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